Ramifications Noted
by Smackalicious
Summary: Continuation of It All Led To This FINAL CHAPTER ADDED DECEMBER 4TH.
1. What Do We Do Now?

Author's Note: DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN'T READ "IT ALL LED TO THIS"!!!!!!

"Ramifications Noted"

Chapter 1: What Do We Do Now?  
  


            Bruce stood in shock at Amy's revelation. He finally turned around. "You're what?" he asked softly.

            "I'm pregnant. Surprise," she said softly.

            "Wha-when did you find out?" Bruce closed the door and made his way over to Amy.

            "This morning," she responded. "I went in for a test and sure enough…"

            "So that's why you weren't in this morning," Bruce realized. Amy nodded. "Why didn't you come to me?"

            Amy looked surprised. "For one, you wanted to forget any of it even happened."

            "Why else?" he asked. She hesitated, and he kept on. "Amy…"

            "I was scared," she blurted out. "I was scared if I told you, you'd be upset and wouldn't want anything to do with me if I was wrong."  
            "You know I wouldn't do that," Bruce assured her. "Regardless of what you believe, I _do_ care about you."

            "I know," Amy sighed. She looked up at Bruce with sad eyes. "What do we do now?" He shook his head and gave her a hug.


	2. Look Mom, No Condom!

Chapter 2: Look Mom, No Condom!

            That night, Amy decided she had to tell her family – at least her mom and Lauren, that was.

            "Do you want me to be there?" Bruce asked.

            "I think I need to tell those two on my own," Amy insisted. "Once I decide to tell the rest of my family, I'd prefer if you were there, too."

            "Sure," Bruce said, nodding his head. Amy walked toward the door of her office, and Bruce said her name again, stopping her. "We'll make this work. I won't let you down."

            "I know you won't," Amy agreed, then left her office. 

            The drive to her house seemed to take ages, as Amy thought about how to break the news. She imagined what her family would say, and how she would handle things from that point forward.       

            Finally, she arrived at her house, and reluctantly shut off her car. "It's now or never," she muttered to herself. She managed to make it from the car to the house without chickening out, and saw her mom and Lauren sitting in the kitchen, eating ice cream.

            She opened the door to be greeted by Lauren. "Hey, Mom. Guess what?"

            "What, noodle?" Amy asked, her mind focused on her own news.

            "Victor and I are going to the Snowflake together."

            "What's the Snowflake?" Amy asked, confused.           

            "The school dance," Lauren replied. "Duh."

            "That's great, honey," Amy said unenthusiastically. 

            "Is something on your mind, Amy?" Maxine asked. "You seem preoccupied."

            "Um, yeah. There's something pretty important I need to tell you," Amy said, nervous.

            "What is it? You didn't get fired, did you?" Maxine asked. 

            "No, it's nothing to do with work." She paused, then rethought her words. "Well, maybe it does have something to do with work."

            "Amy, you're just going in circles," Maxine said, annoyed. "Would you just come out and say it?"

            "It has to do with Bruce," Amy said, still hedging the issue.

            "Is Bruce your new boyfriend?" Lauren asked.

            "Well, not exactly," Amy said, still avoiding telling them.

            "Don't tell me you married the man," Maxine exclaimed.

            Amy gave her mom a shocked look. "It's nothing like that."

            "Then wh- Oh my God," Maxine realized. "Are you sure?" 

            Amy nodded her head, unable to speak without crying. 

            "Oh, honey," Maxine comforted, pulling Amy to her for a hug.

            "What's going on?" Lauren asked, confused.

            Amy pulled away from Maxine, wiping tears off her face. "I'm going to have a baby."

            "But you aren't even married!" Lauren exclaimed. "You can't have a baby if you're not married! Oh my God, what is Chanel going to say? I'm going to be so unpopular. Thanks a lot, Mom." She attempted to storm away, but Amy stopped her before she could.

            "Hey, this is not about you and it sure as hell isn't about Chanel," Amy barked at her. "It is about me, and if you want me to get married, then you'll have to get used to Bruce being your new stepfather because he's the baby's father." Amy finished her statement, nostrils flaring.

            Lauren practically fell over at Amy's statement, but then righted herself and stormed off. 

            Amy flopped down on a stool, rubbing her forehead. "I've just alienated my daughter," she moaned.

            "Amy, you need to calm down," Maxine told her. "Stress isn't good for…for the baby." She looked at Amy sadly. "Does Bruce know?"  
            "Yeah, yeah. He was the first person I told," Amy informed her. "I thought it was kind of important that he knew before anyone else."

            "You mean, in case you decided to get rid of it," Maxine said softly.

            "No," Amy spat, disgusted. "I told him because he's the baby's father, and we're going to raise it together."  
            "I'm sorry. I just thought…" Maxine started.

            "You just thought what?" Amy asked angrily. "You just thought that I'd have an abortion because I'd be having a child that was half-black? Oh, God forbid we have anymore bi-racial family members. You didn't even want Ned."

            "That is absolutely not true!" Maxine insisted. "I was just surprised, that's all."

            "Yeah, surprised that it wasn't a perfect little white baby like you expected," Amy spat. She stood up suddenly. "I'm going to call Bruce, and then we're going to go tell Peter and Gillian, who I'm sure will be thrilled for us." She stormed out of the kitchen as well, leaving Maxine sitting at the counter, her hand over her mouth, shaking her head.


	3. I'm Here

Chapter 3: I'm Here

            Amy managed to get a hold of Bruce, who informed her he'd be right over. When he got to her house, Amy opened the door and Bruce saw that she had been crying.

            "Are you okay?" He took her into his arms, soothing her.

            "I feel a lot better now that you're here," she responded.

            "I take it Maxine and Lauren didn't take the news too well," he stated.

            "Lauren had a sudden popularity attack and my mother…well, I'm not sure what she thought, but she assumed I was going to have an abortion," Amy explained, looking up at Bruce.

            "An abortion?" Bruce asked incredulously. "That's ridiculous." She didn't say anything, so he continued. "Isn't it?"  
            "Of course," Amy assured him. He nodded his head, satisfied with that response, and Amy explained why she called him. "I wanted you to come over so we could tell Peter and Gillian. I had originally planned on waiting, but now…," she was close to crying, "…but now I just want to know that someone is happy for us."

            She started crying and Bruce held her again, rubbing her back and shushing her. "Don't worry. I'm here."

            And she knew then that he wouldn't leave her, no matter what happened.


	4. Welcome to the Family

Author's Note: Peter and Gillian are still together in this story! 

Chapter 4: Welcome to the Family

            Bruce and Amy pulled up outside of Peter and Gillian's house. Amy took a deep breath as Bruce shut off the car, and he turned to her. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

            "Yes," she insisted. "Like I said before, I just need that reassurance that someone else feels for us." Bruce reached over and put his hand on hers, and they got out of the car.

            Amy knocked on the door, and soon Peter answered. "Hey, Amy. Bruce. What's up?"

            "We, uh, we need to tell you and Gillian something," Amy said nervously. Bruce absently rubbed her back, and Peter gave them a questioning look before ushering them in.       

            "Gillian! It's Amy and Bruce!" Peter called to his wife, who stuck her head around a corner. 

            "Hi, guys," she said, coming into the living room, toting Ned. "What's going on?"

            "You might want to sit down," Amy said.

            "Is it that serious?" Peter asked, and everyone sat. "You didn't get married, did you?"

            "Why does everyone keep saying that?" Amy pondered as Bruce shook his head.

            "Well, then, what?" Gillian asked impatiently.

            Amy looked at Bruce and he motioned for her to tell them. "I'm pregnant." Peter and Gillian both looked shocked, but Gillian was the first to speak.

            "Congratulations!" she said, then paused. "You _are_ happy about this, aren't you? Because I don't want to congratulate you on something you're not happy about…" 

            "Relax, Gillian," Amy assured her. She looked at Bruce. "I'm very happy." He smiled and took her hand, and she turned back to Peter and Gillian. "We're just very surprised, that's all."

            "So are we," Peter said. "We didn't even know you two were…you know, involved." 

            "It's a long story," Bruce said, laughing. "But I'm going to stick by your sister through this. I care too much not to."

            Amy looked at Bruce with tears in her eyes, and he put his arm around her, pulling her close to him and kissing the top of her head.            

            "Did you tell Mom?" Peter asked.

            "Yeah, yeah I did," Amy answered. "She thought I was going to get an abortion."

            "What?" Peter fumed. "That's crazy!"

            "I know. I know," Amy agreed. "That's when I decided to call Bruce and come over here. I wanted to make sure my whole family wouldn't disown me."

            "Amy, we couldn't be happier," Gillian assured her. She came over and gave Amy a hug and Peter shook Bruce's hand. 

            "I guess I'll be the first to welcome you to the family," Peter said to Bruce. "Even though we've always thought of you as part of our family anyways."

            "I'm honored to be joining your family," Bruce stated. "I can't think of another I'd rather be a part of."

            "We're glad to have you," Peter insisted, then said under his breath, "and we're glad Amy finally did something smart."

            "Hey," Amy said, pulling away from Gillian.

            Bruce laughed and walked over by Amy, putting his arm around her. "I don't know how smart this whole thing was, but I for one am glad it happened." Amy looked up at Bruce and he squeezed her to him.

            "I can tell this is definitely going to work out," Peter stated, smiling. "And if you ever need anything, let us know. We'd be more than glad to help."

            "Thanks, Peter," Amy said, giving him a hug. She turned back to Bruce. "Who should we tell next?"

            "Well, if you _really_ want to feel good about this, I have only one person in mind," he responded.

            Amy nodded her head, and they said simultaneously, "Donna."


	5. Group Hug!

Chapter 5: Group Hug!

            Amy and Bruce decided to wait until the next day to tell Donna, and they were going to wait until the end of the day, otherwise Donna was likely to blab it all over the courthouse.

            Bruce walked into Amy's office with her docket, and Donna walked in a few minutes later. Bruce gave Amy a questioning look and she nodded her head, signaling for him to shut the door. 

            "I'll see you tomorrow, Judge Gray," Donna was saying, and she headed to the door, where Bruce stopped her from leaving. "What's going on?"

            "We need to tell you something, and you have to keep quiet about it…at work, at least," Bruce informed her quietly.

            "Whoa, this sounds serious," Donna said. 

            "Yeah, it is pretty serious," Amy confirmed.

            "Well, what is it?" Donna asked impatiently.

            Amy looked down at the floor, then back at Donna. "I'm pregnant."

            "Awesome! I mean, good for you…I think," Donna replied, confused. "But what does that have to do with Bruce?"

            They just looked at her, expecting her to realize what was going on at anytime. She just looked back at them with a blank stare.

            "Think about it, Donna," Bruce said.

            "What?" she asked, still not getting it. 

            "I'm the father," he finally told her.

            Donna stared at them for a few seconds, then started laughing. "Oh, now I get it. You're playing some sort of elaborate prank on me, aren't you?" She attempted to punch Bruce in the arm, but he just glared at her, causing her to back away.

            "We're not joking, Donna," Bruce told her. "Judge Gray and I are having a baby."

            "Whoa, you're serious, aren't you?" Donna asked in awe. Bruce just nodded his head. "Well, I guess you won't be calling her Judge Gray anymore," she said to Bruce.

            "Probably not," he replied, getting annoyed.

            "What are you going to do?" Donna asked. "I mean, you won't be able to hide your pregnancy forever, and then once you do have the baby, not only will everyone realize it's Bruce's, but you'll have to leave work for awhile."

            "Well, thank you for dwelling on the positive, Donna," Amy said sarcastically.

            "I'm sorry," she apologized. "I really am happy for you. I mean, wow, two of my favorite people in the world are having a baby together." She paused, then clapped her hands and looked at them, smiling. "Group hug!"

            "Donna, we went through this once before," Bruce started.

            "Come on," she urged. "This time it'll be for _your_ baby."

            Bruce sighed and gave in, and Amy joined them for yet another of Donna's infamous group hugs.


	6. Power Surge

Author's note: Now, I need some feedback. I don't know whether I should keep going with this story or end after this chapter. I don't know where I'd go from here. Let me know.

Chapter 6: Power Surge

            After the scene with Donna, Amy and Bruce walked out of the courthouse together. 

            "So, do you feel any better now?" Bruce asked her, smiling.

            "Yeah," Amy laughed. She turned to Bruce, smiling. "Thank you. I know this whole situation is unexpected and probably not something we necessarily wanted, but…"

            "Hey, hey," Bruce interrupted her. "Yes, this is unexpected, but I don't want you to think I'm just doing this out of some sort of obligation I have to you, like I owe you for something. I care about you." He took her hands in his and forced her to look at him. "And even if this hadn't happened, who's to say I wouldn't want something like it?"

            Amy was close to crying again. Bruce noticed and wiped a few errant tears from her cheeks. Amy laughed. "Damn hormones."

            Bruce chuckled. "Sure, blame it on the pregnancy." He slipped his arm around her shoulders and they started to walk again when they heard a voice. 

            "Pregnancy, huh?" They turned around guardedly, to see Zola Knox facing them, a questioning look on her face. "Nice to see you finally went for it, Bruce. Too bad it ended up the way it did."

            "For your information, Zola…" Bruce started angrily.

            "I don't need an explanation, Bruce," she responded with fire. "The entire time we were seeing each other, I knew I couldn't compete with her. I knew she was the one you loved. But I had to keep trying. And I lost you. No big surprise there." She turned to walk away, and then turned back to them. "I do want you to be happy, Bruce. Even if it's not with me." She lightly kissed him on the cheek and left.

            Bruce stared after her until Amy touched his arm. He looked at her and saw the question in her eyes.

            "She's right," he admitted. "My heart was never in it. But it seemed I'd never get what I wanted, so I tried to forget it. You were getting married. What could I say to stop you?"

            "You did stop me, Bruce," Amy confessed. "By not being there. I knew I was making a huge mistake when you didn't show up. And I think I knew then why you weren't there, but I was too scared to ask. I didn't want to risk losing you." She looked at her hands, then back at Bruce. "And I know I hurt you by dating David. I should've waited for you."

            "It's my own fault," Bruce disagreed. "I should've said something. I almost did, but then I backed away. I guess I was too scared of the same thing."

            "Well, now that everything's out in the open, shouldn't we do something about it?" Amy wondered.

            "We're already having a baby. What more can we do?" Bruce joked. 

            "Yeah, I guess you're right," Amy laughed. Bruce suddenly leaned down and kissed her, throwing her off-guard, but she responded, and as the lights began to shut off around them, they remained, expressing their true feelings.


	7. Family Business

Chapter 7: Family Business

            Amy returned home later that night, a small grin flitting across her face as she thought about the previous events of the night. She dropped her purse and briefcase on the kitchen counter, and maneuvered her way through the house, looking for Maxine and Lauren. 

            "Mom! Lauren!" Amy yelled out as she climbed up the stairs. She heard Lauren talking and made her way to her room, pausing outside the door. 

            "Dad, you won't believe this," she was saying. "Mom's pregnant, and the father is Bruce!"

            Amy burst into the room. "Lauren, give me the phone," she ordered her.

            "Why should I? You never asked me if I wanted a brother or sister," Lauren retorted. 

            "I'm your mother, and I told you to give me the damn phone!" Amy yelled, her frustration taking over. Lauren got a disgusted look on her face and shoved the phone towards Amy. Amy grabbed the phone and started babbling away to Michael. "Michael, it's me, Amy."

            "What the hell is Lauren talking about?" Michael asked. "You're pregnant? With your CSO's baby? If there ever was a time I thought you were an unfit mother, now would be it."  
            Amy walked out of Lauren's room, closing the door as she went. "And what does my relationship with Bruce have to do with my mothering skills? Or are you just looking for any excuse to take Lauren away from me?"

            "Amy, are you stupid?! You could get fired for this! Disbarred, even. And then what the hell would you do?" He paused, waiting for her answer. "Huh? I can wait all night for your answer."

            "You don't have to," Amy hissed into the phone. "This was no mistake. I can tell you that right now."

            "Oh, just like our marriage wasn't a mistake?" he asked sardonically.

            "Know this, Michael," Amy said angrily. "Bruce is more of a man than you'll ever be, and unlike you, he actually cares about me."

            "You know what, Amy? You don't have to explain yourself to me. I've heard enough." He slammed the phone down before she could say anything else.

            Amy angrily turned the phone off as Maxine walked into the kitchen. "I heard you were home," she said, attempting some humor.

            "Great, just what I need," Amy muttered, snooping in the refrigerator.

            "Amy, I just wanted to apologize about earlier," Maxine said.

            "As you should," Amy responded, picking up a Chinese food container, sniffing it, grimacing, then shoving it back in the refrigerator.

            "Well, what did you expect me to think?" Maxine asked. "You could lose your job!"

            "Yeah, people seem to think that's all that matters," Amy said, finally turning towards her mother. "That's all I've heard from everyone. 'Oh, Amy, you'll lose your job. So what if he makes you happy, work is more important.' It's like everyone is making up excuses for me not to be with Bruce.

            "Amy, that's not what anyone is doing," Maxine scoffed. "We want you to be happy. We just want to make sure you're sure about what you're doing."

            "I am sure, Mom," Amy assured her. "I know this is going to work out. I know we have a lot to work through, but we can handle it. After all, we spend every day in a courtroom." She tried laughing, but failed miserably and started crying instead. 

            "Oh, honey," Maxine comforted, letting Amy fall into her arms.

            Amy cried on her mother's shoulder, then pulled away. "That was Michael on the phone before. He's going to use this as leverage to get Lauren. I know he is."

            "It won't work," Maxine said after a short pause. "After the last time he tried this, no judge is going to take him seriously. Besides that, you're a respected judge."

            "Yeah, who's having a baby with her CSO," Amy muttered, playing with an apple. "I hate my life," she moaned, sitting down at the counter and holding her face in her hands. 

            "It'll get better," Maxine assured her. "Remember: It'll be fine in the end. If it's not fine, it's not the end." She patted Amy on the shoulder and walked into the living room. 


	8. The Wisdom of a Child

Chapter 8: The Wisdom of a Child

            Meanwhile, Bruce decided to finally sit Rebecca down and tell her about him and Amy. He worried about her telling Mia, and he knew what her reaction would be.

            Mia had always suspected he was involved with Amy, even though he had repeatedly denied it, and he also told her it was none of her damn business. However, once she did find out, she'd tell him he was repeating his same old patterns of getting someone pregnant without being married, and she'd try to get custody of Rebecca. Not that she actually wanted full custody – she just wanted to finally win over Bruce at something. 

            Bruce heard Rebecca in her room, saying her prayers, and knocked on her door. She stopped talking and looked up at him as he walked in. 

            "Hi, Dad," she said, standing up and sitting on her bed.

            "Hey, sweetie," he said, sitting down next to her. "There's something I need to tell you. Something important."

            "What is it?" she asked, sounding scared. "Did something happen to Grandma?"

            "No, your grandmother is fine," Bruce assured her. "This is more about me." He took a deep breath, then continued. "Do you remember Judge Gray?"

            "Yeah, I remember her," Rebecca nodded. "She's nice. And pretty. Do you think she's pretty, Dad?"  
            "Well, yeah, I think Amy's very pretty," he said, wondering where that question came from. 

            "Is she your new girlfriend?" Rebecca asked. 

            Bruce gave her a surprised look. "Yes. She is. But, there's more to it than that." He took another deep breath. "This is really hard to say."

            "Relax, Dad. I know what's going on."

            "You do?" Bruce raised an eyebrow at her. "Then what per say is 'going on?'" 

            "I'm going to have a new brother or sister," she responded. "Duh."

            "Who told you that?"  
            "Nobody had to tell me. I heard you talking to her earlier. Are you going to get married?"  
            "We haven't thought that far ahead," Bruce responded, still slightly confused. 

            "Well, you thought about having a baby," Rebecca pointed out. "You must love her."  
            Bruce nodded his head thoughtfully, then stood up. "Since you have everything figured out, you can finish saying your prayers and go to bed."

            "Aw, man," Rebecca grumbled.

            "Goodnight, sweetheart," Bruce said, laughing. "I love you." He kissed her forehead and turned to leave.

            "I love you, too, Daddy," Rebecca said. "And Dad?"  
            "Yeah, honey?" Bruce said, turning around. 

            "You should tell her you love her. And I know she'll say yes if you ask her to marry you."

            Bruce smiled. "Goodnight." He shut off her light and went into his kitchen, listening to Rebecca say her prayers and thinking about what she said. "She's right. I'm going to go for it." He picked up the phone. "Yeah, hey, Winnie. Can I ask you a favor? I need you to watch the house for awhile. There's something important I need to do, and I could be gone awhile. What am I doing? Let's just say, getting on with my life. I'll see you in a few minutes. Bye." He hung up the phone and eagerly awaited his sister's arrival so he could leave.

            Finally, Winnie showed up and Bruce let her in, thanking her profusely and running out the door. He got into his car and drove to his future. 


	9. Everything's Just Peachy

Chapter 9: Everything's Just Peachy

Bruce pulled up outside Amy's house and shut off his car. He closed his eyes and sighed to himself, deciding to go for it. "It's now or never," he said to himself, getting out and walking up to Amy's door.

He knocked and impatiently waited for someone to answer. Finally, Amy opened the door, looking sleepy.

"Bruce," she yawned, "what do you want? Sorry. Come in." She stepped aside and let him in.

"I was at home with Rebecca and she made me realize that I can't wait any longer," he explained, sitting on the couch.

"Okay," Amy said, wanting some more information.

"I told her about us, and she made me realize there was something I needed to tell you."  
"Would you just say it already? You're starting to sound like me," Amy laughed nervously.

"You know I have feelings for you."

"Yeah, I gathered that when I ended up pregnant."

"What I'm trying to say is…I love you." After he said it, Amy sat in awe. "And I don't want to completely give you a stroke, but I think, considering our situation, there's a question I have to ask you, too."

"God, if you ask me to marry you…" Amy said, close to crying.

"If I ask you to marry me, what?" Bruce asked, smiling.

"I guess I'd just have to say yes," she replied, the tears flowing freely down her cheeks. She threw her arms around him and kissed him on the cheek. "Oh my God, I can't believe I'm going to go through this again. I'm getting married!" She threw her arms around him again.

"Correction – _we're_ getting married," Bruce said, and Amy took his face in her hands and kissed him, and as they were kissing, they heard footsteps on the stairs. Amy broke away and looked over to see Lauren standing at the foot of the stairs, watching them.

"Hey, noodle," Amy said, moving away from Bruce a little. "We have something to tell you." She took Bruce's hand and walked toward Lauren. "We're getting married. Bruce is going to be your new step dad."

Lauren gave them a look of disbelief, then turned around and walked back upstairs.

"Oh, God," Amy muttered, walking away from Bruce. "My daughter hates you. She's going to tell Michael that she's not happy here, and he'll take her away from me." She started pacing and continued. "But maybe it's all for the best. Maybe I deserve to have Lauren taken away. Maybe I'm just a bad mother."

"Amy," Bruce said sternly, forcing her to stop pacing and look at him. He gave her a look that said she was crazy, and she nodded her head.

"Yeah, you're right. I'm just overreacting. Nothing bad is going to happen."  
"Since when are you getting married?" It was Maxine, who had just come down from upstairs, Lauren at her heels.

"See, everything's just peachy," Bruce whispered to Amy, forcing her to stifle a laugh.

"Amy, I'd like an answer," Maxine ordered, bringing her back to reality.

"We just got engaged a few minutes ago," Amy answered, still giddy with excitement.

"Well, this is certainly…unexpected," Maxine responded.

"What do you mean, Ma? You knew we were having a baby. Marriage was the next logical step."

"Thanks," Bruce said dryly.

Amy turned to him, realizing her mistake. "Oh my God, Bruce, that's not what I meant. I'm not marrying you because I'm pregnant. I want to marry you because…I love you." She nervously started laughing after that, because it was the first time she had told him she loved him.

Bruce smiled. "And that's why I want to marry you." They were about to kiss again when Maxine cleared her throat, reminding them of her presence.

"That's all fine and dandy, but how are you two going to explain this at work?" Maxine asked. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the court system usually frowns upon this sort of thing."

"Yeah, Ma, I realize that," Amy retorted, annoyed. "We'll deal with that on our own."

"Well, I suggest you come up with something quickly. If you get disbarred for this, it's your own fault." She walked away and Amy turned to Bruce.

"You got any ideas?" she asked, and he shook his head. She moved into his open arms and snuggled against him.


	10. Two Weeks Notice

Chapter 10: Two Weeks Notice

The next day, as Amy was walking into work, Bruce came from the opposite direction and veered in the way she just came.

"Bruce, what's wrong?" she asked nervously, wondering what was really going on.

"Trust me, you do _not_ want to go into your office right now."

"Bruce, would you tell me what the hell is going on?" Amy asked impatiently. "No. Wait. I'll just find out myself." She pushed past Bruce's restraining arms and entered her office where she discovered the lead administrative judge sitting at her desk – the same one who investigated the charges of inpropriety against her and Bruce when they first started working together.

"Judge Gray, nice to see you could make it to work this morning," he greeted her.

"What kind of nerve do you have…" Amy started, then a sudden bout of naseau swept over her and she ran out of the room.

Donna turned to the judge. "Must be a bug going around," she explained, laughing nervously. The judge smiled thinly, and soon Amy walked back in, this time with Bruce behind her.

"You were saying, Judge Gray?" he asked, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"What do you want now? I suppose more rumors have been flying again."

"Well, I have a witness that saw you and Mr. Van Exel, _embracing_, in the parking garage last night."

Amy scoffed, but she was shaking inside. This could get them in _big_ trouble. "And just how _reliable_ is your source?"

"I'd like to think I'm pretty reliable." At the sound of the witness' voice, Amy's mouth fell open in shock, and she turned around to face…

"David, how did I know?" Bruce asked, annoyed and angry.

"I'm sorry I had to do it, but it _was_ breaking policy," David explained.

"May I speak with you for a moment?" Amy asked David through clenched teeth. They exited Amy's chambers and Amy exploded at him. "Is this some sort of punishment for breaking up with you? What was it? The perfect opportunity to get Amy fired?"

"Please," David scoffed. "I am not that petty, and I didn't want to do it, but I would like to keep my job, as well."

"Why – are you doing something against the rules?" Amy asked.

"If I wouldn't have said something about you and Bruce, and someone found out I knew something, there could've been a misunderstanding."

Amy opened her mouth to speak, but her door opened before she could and Bruce stepped out.

"What's the verdict, Bruce?" Amy asked nervously.

Bruce sighed. "Is there someplace we can talk privately?" He glared at David, and David spoke up.

"No need to leave. I was just leaving," he said icily, leaving.

Once David was out of earshot, Amy eagerly turned back to Bruce. "Well?"

"Well, it looks like we'll be seeing each other a little less that usual," he responded. "In the courthouse, at least. They've suspended me until this can be investigated."

"They've _suspended_ you?" Amy asked in awe. "They couldn't just reassign you to another part of the courthouse?"

"The judge felt it would be best if we didn't see each other at work and 'be tempted,'" Bruce said with sarcasm.

Amy stifled a laugh. "If he only knew." She suddenly turned serious and looked up at Bruce. "Maybe we should say something now rather than let ourselves get fired down the road," she whispered. "I mean, I'm not going to be able to hide this," she pointed to her stomach, "and someone's surely going to ask about this," she pointed to the new engagement ring on her hand, "so maybe we should play it safe."

"And what are we going to say?" he asked her softly. "We'll both end up losing our jobs."

"I know. I know," Amy responded. "But maybe that's the choice we have to make. Our jobs or…well, you know. As long as you're my CSO, we can't have both, unless they suddenly change the rules around here."

"So, there's the solution," Bruce said. "Neither of us may like it very much, but if we want the other thing we've been talking about, I need to quit my job."

"What will I do without you in my courtroom? I'll go crazy if I end up with Ian or Patrese as my CSO again." Amy was close to crying. "You're the only CSO I can work with, Bruce."

"What about Donna?" Bruce asked. "She was your CSO in criminal. I'm sure she'd love the opportunity to do it in juvenile."

"She'd have to learn some organizational skills," Amy laughed. "And what are you going to do for a job? You won't go back to that horrible hardware store, will you?"

"I never said anything before because I was happy working here, but I got my degree in child psychology," Bruce answered. "I'm sure I can work something out with DCF…"

"I'm so proud of you!" Amy exclaimed, getting caught up in the moment and suddenly hugging him.

"Ahem," they heard from behind them. Amy turned around to face the administrative judge, who had a wondering look on his face. "May I remind you why I'm here?"

"It doesn't matter," Bruce stated. "I am officially giving you my two weeks notice."

The judge looked surprised. "You're quitting?"

"I have a degree in child psychology, Your Honor. I feel my talents are being wasted as a CSO. Besides," he looked over at Amy, "I'm sick and tired of all the politics involved in being friends with your boss." Amy hid a grin after he said this, knowing that the term 'friends' was a major understatement.

The judge nodded. "Very well. Judge Gray, I'll look into finding you a replacement for Mr. Van Exel."

"Well, actually…" Amy trailed off.

The judge sighed. "Yes?"

"I was thinking that Miss Koslowski could fill in as my CSO," Amy explained. "She worked as my CSO when I was in criminal, and she has filled in for Mr. Van Exel before. It would mean a lot to me."

The judge thought it over for a moment, then nodded his head.

"Alright, I'll officially change the status once Mr. Van Exel's two weeks are up."

"Thank you so much, Your Honor," Amy said enthusiastically. He walked off, and Amy threw her arms around Bruce again. He was about to kiss her when she put a hand over her mouth and ran towards the bathroom. Bruce smiled, shook his head, and retreated back into Amy's chambers.


	11. Playing Hooky

Author's Note: Sorry this took so long to update! At least it's a relatively long chapter, so that should satisfy everyone for awhile.

Chapter 11: Playing Hooky

"We'll reconvene tomorrow at 10:30," Amy said to her last case of the day. "Case dismissed."

As the lawyers and social workers were packing things up, Amy turned to Bruce. "What's on the docket for tomorrow?"

"Well, let me see," Bruce responded, looking at the docket. "Nothing at 9:30, nothing at 10, nothing at 10:30…"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Amy interrupted him. "I just said the State V. Johnson case would be back here tomorrow at 10:30."

"Things change," Bruce said.

"What do you have planned?" Amy asked warily, seeing the smirk on Bruce's face.

Bruce stood up and prepared to leave the courtroom. "Nothing," he insisted. "Just a little much needed time away."

They walked into Amy's chambers. "How did you manage that?"

"Everyone gets a few days off," he explained. "I just transferred your cases to another judge and we're free."

"God, I can't wait until we're married," Amy said, leaning over to kiss him.

"You're getting married?" they heard from behind them. They broke away from their kiss to face Donna, who had just walked in.

Bruce went to close the door as Amy happily flashed her engagement ring at Donna. "Wow, that's some rock. But what are you going to tell people if they ask you about it?"

"The truth," Amy responded. "That Bruce and I are getting married and no one can stop us."

"Yeah, except you'll both be canned if you do that," Donna said.

"There's something we haven't told you yet," Bruce stated. "In two weeks, I will no longer be Amy's CSO. You will."

"I'm going to be your new CSO, Judge Gray?" Donna asked in awe. "I don't know what to say. There's no way I'll be as good as Bruce, though. I mean, I don't have that deep baritone voice that commands everyone's attention. How am I supposed to compete with that?"

"This isn't a race, Donna," Amy assured her. "Bruce is going to put his degree in child psychology to good use, and the only other CSO's you'll have to compete with are the ones in this building."

"So you mean I'm still competing with someone?" Donna asked worriedly.

"She was just joking," Bruce answered.

"Oh," Donna said, laughing. "Gotcha. But back to the wedding. When is it? Where is it? Who's standing up?"

"We haven't thought about any of that yet," Amy confessed. "We _just_ got engaged. What do you expect from us?"

"Well, I was just thinking that you'd have some idea of what you're going to do," Donna said. "I mean, I'm assuming you're going to get married before you have the baby, otherwise you'll have to worry about the kid screaming all throughout the ceremony, and everyone will be like, what were they thinking? They should've gotten married before she had the baby. Of course, you'd have to do it relatively soon, unless you want to look like a blimp in your wedding dress." Amy and Bruce both gave her a dirty look. "But a very beautiful blimp. And sparkly."

Amy rolled her eyes and Bruce shook his head. "Donna, we'll see you Monday," Bruce stated.

"Monday? Today's only Thursday," Donna said, confused. "Or do you two have something romantic planned for tomorrow?" She nudged Amy, and Bruce glared at her.

"Donna," he warned. She took the hint and backed through the door, closing it behind her.

Bruce turned to Amy once she was gone. "How about getting out of here and starting our little vacation?"

"That's the best idea I've heard in a long time," Amy replied, grinning. She leaned in for a kiss and then they walked to the parking garage, Bruce's arm around Amy's shoulders. "Where are we going, anyway?"

He grinned at her. "You'll find out when we get there."

Amy grinned. "You are a very mysterious man, Mr. Van Exel."

"Hey, I'm just doing my job," he replied, and Amy laughed. They were about to get into their cars, and Bruce ordered Amy, "Go back to your house and pack your suitcase. I'll go home, grab mine, and drop by to pick you up."

"We're leaving tonight?" she asked, surprised.

"Why not? It's not like we have to work tomorrow," he cracked. "I've already arranged for my sister to watch Rebecca, and I'm assuming your mother can watch Lauren, so what's the problem?"

"There's no problem," Amy said, smiling again. She got into her car and drove home, preparing for one exciting weekend.

The moment she got home, she threw her briefcase down and ran up to her bedroom, eager to get packed so she could get going. She heard Lauren talking to someone on the phone and hoped there wasn't a major crisis that needed to be diverted.

"Mom!" she suddenly heard, and groaned to herself. "Victor's dad won't let me see Victor anymore because of you." Lauren was standing in her doorway now, arms crossed over her chest and a glare directed towards Amy.

"Well, you're too young to be dating, anyway," Amy responded, throwing some things in a suitcase.

"I should've known you'd be like this!" Lauren yelled. "It would've been a _lot _easier if you would've just kept dating Victor's dad."

Amy paused in her frantic packing to hiss, "I am not about to date David just so you can see his son again." She paused, realizing the harshness of her words, and apologized. "I'm sorry, noodle. I didn't mean to yell at you. It's just that, well, David has some growing up to do. I'm getting married to Bruce, and he can't stop that. I love Bruce. And we're having a baby together. If David can't see past all that, it's his own problem." She smiled and returned to her packing.

"I didn't need all the details of your personal life, Mom," Lauren insisted, her mouth wrinkled in a look of disgust. "I just wanted you to use your powers as a judge to make Victor's dad change his mind."

Amy paused and looked at Lauren. "What am I supposed to do? Send him to jail for child abuse?"

Lauren thought about that for a moment, then nodded. "That would work." Amy laughed, and Lauren finally seemed to notice she was packing. "Where are you going?"

"Well," Amy grunted, hefting the bulging suitcase onto her bed, "I am taking a sort of mini-vacation with Bruce. I don't know where we're going, but I know it should be a lot of fun." She had a mischievious gleam in her eye, which Lauren apparently noticed.

"Eww! TMI!" Lauren cried, covering her ears and walking downstairs.

Amy looked confused. "TMI?" Before she could figure out what it meant, however, the doorbell rang. "Could you get that, Lauren?" she yelled, lugging her suitcase down the stairs.

Lauren opened the door and turned around to walk back to the kitchen once she saw it was Bruce.

"Nice to see you too, Lauren," Bruce yelled to her, garnering an uninterested wave over her shoulder from Lauren. He smiled and looked over to the stairs to see Amy struggling with a huge suitcase. "Amy!"

He rushed over and climbed the stairs, taking the suitcase from her. "It would've been easier to just push it out the window, is what I'm thinking," Amy puffed, out of breath.

"You shouldn't even be trying to carry this," he chastised her. "You're pregnant, or did you forget that?"

"Nope, my stomach and my back won't let me forget," she joked, following Bruce down the stairs. "Are you going to tell me now where we're going?"

"I told you, you'll find out when we get there," he insisted.

"But I wanna know now!" Amy whined.

Bruce tsked at her. "Whining never got anybody anywhere."

"Tell me about it," Lauren mumbled from the kitchen, where she was doing some homework.

"Okay, then I want to get going so I can find out where this mystery place is," Amy said. "Behave yourself, Lauren. Your grandmother works as a mom, too, so no wild parties or anything."

"Not like anyone would come, anyway," Lauren retorted. "Victor's not allowed to see me now, remember?"

"Bye, pumpkin!" Amy bade, quickly closing the door behind her.

"What's with her?" Bruce asked.

"Just your usual pre-teen non-hormones. Should be gone by the time she's 30," Amy responded.

Bruce laughed, then helped Amy into his car, and soon they were off to their mystery destination.


	12. Disaster Ahead

Author's Note: To Ruzila...I started writing this chapter one or two days before you posted the first chapter where Amy and Bruce went on their trip, so don't go thinking I copied you! LOL. I read yours and was like, whoa....

Chapter 12: Disaster Ahead

Bruce drove in silence for the last two miles of the trip, as Amy had fallen asleep, and he turned the radio off to appease her. As he reached their secret getaway, he gently shook Amy awake.

Amy groggily opened her eyes and yawned widely. "Are we there?"

"Yes, we're there, sleepyhead," Bruce laughed, tweaking her nose. "Take a look and tell me what you think."

Amy blinked a few times until her vision was back in focus, then gasped at the sight she saw. Bruce had driven them to a secluded cabin in the middle of the woods.

"Do you like it?" Bruce asked.

"I like it if there's electricity," Amy said, remembering her disastrous camping trip with Stu Collins.

"Relax," Bruce ordered her. "I know you aren't the biggest fan of camping. There is electricity and even an indoor bathroom!"

Amy looked relieved to hear that. "Let's get this vacation started!"

They hopped out of Bruce's car and began the trek to the cabin, with Bruce lugging the majority of their luggage behind him.

When they finally reached the cabin, Bruce was huffing and puffing like the Big Bad Wolf, while Amy was excitedly examining the inside of the cabin.

"This is gorgeous, Bruce!" she exclaimed. "How did you arrange all this?"

"It belongs to my aunt," he panted. "She died a few years ago, and it's just stayed in the family. My sister uses it from time to time, and I've come up here a few times to get away from everything."

"Wow," Amy breathed, searching the rooms. She found the kitchen and squealed. "There's an old-fashioned stove in here! This is so amazing!"

"Oh, crap," Bruce suddenly muttered.

Amy stuck her head around the corner and peeked at Bruce. "What 'oh, crap?' This is supposed to be our vacation, our good time to ourselves."

"I never thought about getting groceries," he admitted. "We're going to have to go buy something."

"Oh, Bruce, we just got here," Amy begged. "Can't we enjoy the wilderness for awhile?"

"Sure. Sure, that'd be okay," he agreed reluctantly. "We just have to remember to get some before tomorrow."

"Why before tomorrow?"

Bruce gave her a look. "Don't you think it would be nice to have food here for breakfast when we wake up?"

"You have a point, Mr. Van Exel," Amy agreed. "Your logic is flawless."

"Of course it is. I took a class." He grinned and Amy shook her head at him, smiling as well. He put his arm around her and they retreated to one of the bedrooms, intending on unpacking and then going grocery shopping.

However, once they got to the bedroom, they laid down on the bed and fell asleep – leaving both their unpacking _and_ grocery shopping undone.

Amy woke up first to see a few errant rays of sun filtering in through the gauze curtains. "Oh, God, is it morning already?" she muttered to herself, smacking her lips to get that fuzzy morning taste out of her mouth. She looked over at Bruce, who was laying with one arm next to his side and the other across his chest. Amy leaned over and dropped a chaste kiss on his cheek, awakening him.

He rolled over and groaned, then opened his eyes and looked at Amy, then past her to the sunlit window. "Oh, crap," he realized. "The…"

"Groceries," she finished for him. "I know. _And_ the unpacking." She rolled onto her back, laughing. "Looks like we'll need to go shopping now."

"I don't think so," Bruce responded. Amy gave him a curious look, and he finished. "You're all I need for breakfast." Amy giggled as he kissed her slowly and she sat up in bed, reluctantly pulling away from him, still smiling.

"That's wonderful to hear, darling," she said sarcastically, "but I can't live without my morning coffee." She stood up from the bed and faced him. "Race ya to the bathroom!" Before Bruce could even get out of bed, Amy had fled the room.

He smiled to himself. "I just can't win lately, can I?" He got out of bed and jogged after Amy to the bathroom.


	13. Just Sitting

Chapter 13: Just Sitting

After the two of them had gotten ready and went grocery shopping, they were sitting around in the cabin, sipping hot coffee.

"I can't believe we just fell asleep like that," Amy laughed.

"Yeah, and it's all _your_ fault," Bruce blamed, tipping his cup toward her.

Amy's mouth fell open. "How do you figure?"

"Well, if you hadn't been so adamant about staying and, what was it? 'Enjoying the wilderness?' Yeah, we may have gotten something done then."

Amy tossed a pillow at him. "Everything worked out just fine. I got my morning coffee, and you got a non-grumpy fiancee. Besides, you were the one that planned this trip. You should have thought of the details. So you have no right blaming me. _And_ I'm a pregnant woman."

"What does that have to do with this?" Bruce wondered.

"Nothing, really," Amy confessed. "You should just be nicer to me. I _am_ having _your_ baby, after all."

"That's right," Bruce said, putting his arm around her shoulder. "And _our_ baby is going to be perfect."

"Damn right," Amy agreed, smiling. She leaned in to kiss him and they enjoyed a long, leisurely kiss. When they pulled away from each other, Amy saw that Bruce had a devilish smirk on his face. "What?"

"I have another surprise for you," he announced.

Amy's eyes lit up. "What is it? I love surprises!"

"You'll find out," he assured her, doing the same act he did when she wanted to know where he was taking her for the weekend.

"Not this again!" Amy groaned.

"Don't worry," Bruce calmed her. "You'll find out a lot sooner than later, if you go get in the car."

"Wow. More driving?" Amy said. "I'm going to get motion sickness pretty soon from all this riding around."

"You better not. I just had my car reupholstered!"

Amy looked at him. "You did? It looked the same to me."

"Nah, I was just making a joke," he confirmed. "Isn't that what everyone says when someone mentions getting sick in their car?"

Amy hit him with another pillow. "Let's just hope I don't go into labor in your car."

"Hopefully, we'll be within two feet of a hospital when you do go into labor," Bruce agreed. They both laughed and Amy leaned into him.

"I still can't believe all this is happening," Amy sighed. "Usually when I get into a relationship with a guy, it ends up with him divorcing me or being half my age so we're not 'supposed' to date or he marries some Polynesian woman half his age." Bruce raised an eyebrow as she continued. "Why is it okay for men to date women that are barely legal when they're 50 years old, but if a 30-something woman dates a 20-something man, it's completely different?" She turned and looked at Bruce, who still had his eyebrow raised, and started laughing. "Okay, maybe I'm just babbling again. Ignore me."

"No, you're a beautiful babbler," Bruce insisted cheerfully, hugging her to him and causing Amy to laugh. "You need to let go of your pessimism. If you don't, you'll drive everyone that means anything to you away, and you'll never be happy."

"Wow," Amy said. "You really _are_ ready to be a psychologist." They both started laughing again and settled in to enjoy the rest of their vacation.


	14. That's Not

Chapter 14: That's Not The Right Surprise

After a few cups of coffee had been consumed, Bruce and Amy prepared for Bruce's second surprise for Amy. As they climbed into his car, Amy turned to him and asked, "Don't I even get a little hint?"

Bruce laughed. "We have to go in a car to get there," he replied.

"You're no fun," Amy sulked.

"You'll love it. Trust me," he insisted, brushing her nose with his finger.

He backed out of the grassy drive, and soon they were back on the highway, heading towards yet another mystery destination. Amy flipped through radio stations, and finding nothing but static or heavy metal, sighed and leaned back into her seat.

"You feeling alright?" Bruce asked her, laying a hand on her knee. He knew that this pregnancy was difficult for her to accept, as her daughter was already a teenager, her career was very high profile, and, even though she never said it outight, because he was a black man. It was hard for him to handle, too. He would be accused of possibly ruining a white woman's highly respected position in the judicial world, and God knows how many times he heard about how everyone 'knew it would happen eventually. It was only a matter of time.' _That_ was what really bothered him. He fell in love with Amy, and she fell in love with him, just like any other people would. No one seemed to understand that they were just like everyone else.

"I'm fine, Bruce," Amy insisted. "I'm just a little…well, tired. I'm so tired of what everyone keeps saying about us. Just the other day, I was in the bathroom in the courthouse, and I heard a couple of female lawyers talking about you."

"About me?" Bruce asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Amy confirmed. "They were going on about what a prime piece of beefcake you were, and one of them said she had thought about asking you out, but, and I quote, she 'didn't want to incur the wrath of Amy Gray.' I mean, is it that obvious that we _are_ together or is everyone just assuming that we'll get together because we work together?"

"Amy, don't worry about what other people think," Bruce ordered her. "I used to do that all the time, but then I realized that you can't please everyone…"

"So you've got to please yourself," Amy finished the song lyric. "You know, you are so right. So what if everyone thinks we're involved just because 'it was going to happen eventually?'"

"I don't think I want people thinking that."

"Well, how are we supposed to explain it?" Amy asked. "That _is _what happened, basically. We just have to prove that this is the real thing, not just some random fling."

"And just how are we supposed to do that?"

"I have an idea," Amy said mysteriously. "But it'll have to wait until we decide when we're getting married. Meanwhile, I am more interested in your little surprise."

"Oh, I thought you forgot about that," Bruce teased. "I guess I'll just have to continue driving now."

"You better!" Amy ordered. "I didn't ride along with you when I'm feeling nauseous just to check out the scenery. This surprise better be coming up pretty damn quick, because I also have to pee."

"Would you like me to pull over so you can relieve yourself?" Bruce asked dryly.

Amy shot him a glare. "If you show me yours, I'll show you mine," she announced.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Haven't we been through this already?" He started laughing as he said, "Isn't that how you ended up pregnant?"

"I didn't mean that," Amy laughed, slapping him playfully on the arm. "I was talking about the surprises. Once you show me this surprise, I may tell you what I was planning."

"You may tell me?" Bruce echoed. "What happened to 'you show me yours and I'll show you mine?'"

"If you're good," Amy promised mischieviously. Bruce shook his head and grinned at her.

They drove for a little while more, until Bruce stopped the car and turned off the engine. "We're here," he announced unnecessarily.

Amy stepped from the car, looking for something elaborate like a new vehicle or a huge hotel, but all she saw was wilderness. "I don't get it," she confessed, turning around in a circle and finally facing Bruce. "Where's the surprise?"

"Follow me," he ordered her, holding his hand out to her.

"This better be damn good," she muttered, taking his hand and following him to a dusty little makeshift trail leading farther into the woods. "And there better be a bathroom, too. My bladder is pressing against your unborn child."

"Remind me why I'm marrying you," Bruce stated.

Amy laughed. "I'm sorry. I know I'm being a bitch lately. I'm just hormonal from the pregnancy. I'm sure that's all it is."

"You're sure?" Bruce wondered aloud.

Amy reached over and hit him with her free hand. "Maybe _I_ should be reminded why I'm marrying _you_." They shared a laugh and continued down the trail, until Bruce stopped and moved in front of Amy.

"Okay, close your eyes," he ordered her.

"Bruce," she whined, "it's been, like, a year and a half since you told me you had another surprise. Why go through this charade?"

"We could just turn around and go back to the cabin."

"Alright, I'll close my eyes," Amy grumbled. She closed her eyes and Bruce took her hand again and they started walking.

Suddenly, Bruce stopped walking and Amy ran into his back. "Bruce," she said nervously, "what's going on?"

He was quiet for a minute before responding, "Huh. I didn't know there were bears out here."


	15. FINALLY, Surprise 2

Chapter 15: FINALLY, Surprise 2

Amy jumped and opened her eyes quickly. "Oh my God, where?" She turned to Bruce with a frightened look on her face. "Where the hell are the damn bears?"

Bruce was chuckling. "I knew that would get your attention."

Amy looked at him incredulously. "You made that up? I am going to hurt you so badly, we will never have any other children."

"Whoa, whoa," he said, holding his hands up for protection. "You don't really want to hurt me, do you, baby?" He had never really called her 'baby' before, or any other cutesy nicknames, for that matter. He was hoping to get her mind off of kicking his ass, and to get her to focus on the nickname.

"Don't go 'baby'ing me," Amy responded, not taken at all with his compliment. "I'm still pissed at you."

"Doesn't my surprise change your mind the slightest bit?" Bruce asked.

Amy glanced over at him, trying not to act too interested, but failing miserably. "Where is it?"

He pointed to a small clearing, where there was a ledge that overlooked the city of Hartford. Amy walked over to the ledge in awe. It was incredibly beautiful. She had never, in all her years of living here, seen the city from this angle.

She turned back to Bruce, forgetting her anger at him. "How did you know about this? How could _I _not know about this?" She turned back to look out over the city, still awestruck by the view.

"I discovered this one day when I was out for a drive," Bruce elaborated. "It was at a really low point in my life. Actually," he started laughing softly, with a hint of sadness, "that coincided directly with the time you were going to marry Stu. The day came, but when push came to shove, I couldn't do it. I got in my car and drove. I stopped along the road back where I parked, and I just started walking through the woods. When I got over here, I saw light shining through the trees, and there was the city. I sat here for hours; just hoping and praying you made the right decision and didnt' get married."

Amy had tears in her eyes. "I knew someone was watching over me that day. I just didn't know it was you."

Bruce laughed. "I love you, Amy Gray."

"I love you, too, Bruce Van Exel," Amy giggled. She took his outstretched hand and they walked over to the ledge, sitting on a small grassy area that had a great view of the courthouse.

"I wonder how work went without us yesterday," Bruce pondered aloud.

"All our clients defaulted to show up and the entire legal system of Connecticut shut down," Amy said seriously.

Bruce raised an eyebrow at her. "You really do love your job, don't you?"

She turned back to him. "Yeah, I do. It's the first job I've had that made me feel like I was actually helping people. And when your mother is a social worker, you feel the need to get a job that matters."

"So, flipping burgers just wasn't going to cut it?" Bruce joked, triggering a laugh from Amy. He sighed and continued. "I really am going to miss working for you, seeing you in action every day."

"Oh, but Mr. Van Exel, you'll see me in action every night," she hinted, leaning over and placing a kiss on his lips. "And that would surely be more entertaining than watching me rule over cases in court."

"Don't forget that we'll have 3 children in our house," he reminded her, patting her stomach, which was growing bigger by the day.

Amy leaned into him, reveling in his strength and warmth. "I can't wait until we're married and living in our own home. We can escape from the strangeness of our current lives and settle into a possibly more normal lifestyle."

Bruce chuckled at her thoughts. "I think it'll be good for both of us, not to mention Rebecca and Lauren, to have a 2-parent household. And while I'm sure Lauren still isn't too hung up on the idea, I love her like she was my own daughter, just because she's your daughter."

Amy was beginning to tear up. "Just like I love Rebecca. If anything would've happened to her that day...I would've felt the loss just as much as you." Amy was referring to the time when Rebecca had disappeared from the courthouse and had gone into an epileptic seizure. Luckily, Kyle had taken care of things, and Rebecca was fine.

Bruce saw her tears and wiped them away with his thumb. "Hey, she's okay. And she'll continue to be fine as long as she takes her medicine. But I don't think that's why you're crying? What is it? What's wrong, Amy?"

She waved away his question, answering, "Nothing. I guess I'm just being hormonal again. When you said you loved Lauren just because she's my daughter...wow, I've never really had someone feel like that before. Stu wouldn't even try to bond with Lauren." She started laughing and continued. "He acted like he was scared of her."

Bruce chuckled in response to her memory. "You know I won't do that. I have a daughter of my own, remember?"

"Yeah, I know," Amy sighed. "I just hope things work out once we're married."

"Why wouldn't they?" Bruce asked curiously. "What are you thinking?"

Amy shifted uncomfortably in his arms. "Well...I just think Lauren and Rebecca are going to have a hard time adjusting. They don't really know each other _that _well, and they're at the age where your social life is everything. What if they blame us if they lose all their friends?"

Bruce laughed sadly. "Amy...baby, they'd probably blame us no matter if we were married or not. Besides, try not to think that way. Everything will be fine."

"Oh, I sure hope you're right," Amy sighed.

They sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, then Bruce remembered that Amy had a surprise for him. "Hey, where's my surprise?" Amy gave him a confused look, and he elaborated. "You said something earlier about having an idea of how to get everyone off our backs. And you also said you would tell me once I showed you my surprise."

"Well," Amy grinned, "I came up with the perfect solution for all our possible wedding problems."

Bruce looked at her with raised eyebrows. "Are we eloping?"

"No," Amy responded, hitting him lightly. "I want everyone to be there."

"Then how exactly are we going to pull this off without hurting anyone's feelings?"

"We can still have some big wedding," Amy began, "but here's my idea: no one stands up for us." She grinned wider, waiting for Bruce's response. "So, what do you think?"

"Hey, it'll work if we announce that everyone's wearing kilts," he responded, nodding. Amy started laughing, and Bruce joined in, clutching her closer to him as they looked over the city of Hartford.


	16. Going to the Chapel

_A/N: OMG, I am SO SORRY for how incredibly slow I am at updating. I was uninspired for a really long time and honestly didn't know if I was ever going to finish this story. Then last night I happened to have a dream about the show (I know, I'm such a nerd) and it's been haunting me all day, so I was like, I'm going to finish Ramifications Noted. I know this should make some of you very happy. I hope you enjoy the final chapter! Remember: I love feedback!_

Chapter 16: Going to the Chapel

6 Months Later...

"Ma, if you pull that any tighter, I won't be able to breathe."

"Well, Amy, it is your wedding dress, and you do want to look nice, am I right? There, take a look."

Amy turned and looked at herself in the full-length mirror, in awe over the dress she had on. "Wow. I feel like a princess."

"You look like a princess," said a voice from the door. Amy turned and smiled as Rebecca and Lauren walked in. "My dad is going to fall over when he sees you."

Amy and Maxine started laughing, and another knock on the door interrupted them. "Who is it?" Amy called out.

"It's just me and the kids," Gillian called out. "Could someone open the door for me?"

Lauren rushed over and opened the door for her aunt, who had with her Ned and Walt, and the little bundle of joy that was Bruce and Amy's son, Calvin.

"There's my little guy," Amy cooed, going to retrieve him from Gillian. She reached out for him, but Gillian held him back from her.

"You don't want to get baby vomit on your dress before the wedding even starts, do you?" Gillian pointed out.

Amy laughed. "Very true. I don't think the smell would be too appealing to Bruce."

Just then, someone else knocked on the door. This time it was Peter and Vincent. "Ready to go, sis?" Peter asked, grinning.

Amy returned his grin. "I've been waiting for this for a long time." She took Peter and Vincent's arms, and they walked her to the door of the chapel. Once they arrived, she let go of their arms, and they both smiled broadly at her.

"Good luck, sis," Vincent said. "Now, no fainting or calling off the wedding or anything else ridiculous this time, got it?"

Amy continued to grin. "There's no chance in hell that's going to happen this time." Peter and Vincent joined the rest of the family in the church, and Amy was left by herself to wait for her cue to enter.

An organ strain caught her attention and made her take a deep breath. "I'm finally marrying the man of my dreams," she whispered, and opened the doors to the church.

There was a slight murmur as Amy walked through the open doorway and everyone got a first look at her. As she proceeded up the aisle, she made eye contact with Sean, Donna, and her own family members. She then looked up at the altar, where her eyes locked with Bruce's. He beamed at her, and she saw a single tear roll down his cheek.

Once she arrived at his side, she whispered, "You're going to have me crying pretty soon," to which he laughed and picked up her hand to kiss it.

The priest stepped forward. "Who gives this woman to this man?"

"I do," Maxine responded proudly, garnering a grin from Amy.

"If there is anyone that objects..."

"Could you possibly skip over that part?" Amy interrupted. She turned her gaze on Bruce. "I don't think we need it, anyways."

"Very well," the priest said. "We are gathered here today, in the presense of family, friends, and the Lord, to join in holy matrimony Amy Madison Gray and Bruce Calvin Van Exel. I understand you have prepared your own vows?" Bruce and Amy smiled and turned to each other once again.

Bruce was the first to speak. "Amy. Or should I say Judge Gray?" That comment elicited a few chuckles and another grin from Amy. "Wow. My life changed in so many ways the minute I was assigned to your courtroom as your CSO. I tried so hard to keep that professional relationship with you, but you got to me. You've made me a much mellower person, and while we haven't always seen eye-to-eye on everything in the courtroom, I still respect you, just as I always have. I love you, Amy, and can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you."

Tears gleamed in Amy's eyes as she began to speak. "Bruce, Bruce, Bruce. I thought really hard about what I was going to say in my vow to you. I looked back on our years working together in the courtroom, and when I think about it, I can't help but laugh. I mean, when I took the judge position here, I never expected that I would end up marrying my court services officer, but I wouldn't have it any other way. You've forced me to check myself to see what really matters, both in the courtroom and in my life outside the courtroom. I know I'm never going to regret this moment, because if we've made it this far, we were surely meant to be together for the rest of our lives. I love you."

By this time, everyone in the church was smiling and were either crying or close to it. The priest stepped towards Bruce and Amy again, this time with their wedding bands, which he handed to them as he spoke the familiar words of any wedding.

"Do you each promise to take the other as your loving spouse, to have and to hold, for better and for worse, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," Amy responded quickly, nodding rapidly.

"I do," Bruce said, smiling.

"Then I would like to pronounce you, by the power invested in me by the state of Connecticut, husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

Bruce and Amy continued to grin, and Bruce made a show out of kissing Amy, bending her over backwards and laying a big smooch on her, eliciting a round of applause and catcalls from their family and friends.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the priest announced, "Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Van Exel."

Bruce and Amy joined hands and made their way down the aisle, then waited for everyone outside before they all headed to the Gray house to celebrate the wedding.

At Maxine's house, the festivities were in full swing, as it seemed everyone was as excited about Bruce and Amy being married as the newlyweds were themselves. Lauren and Rebecca were chatting away excitedly, both ecstatic about finally having a sister, not to mention a little brother. Vincent and Kyle were getting reaquainted and planning a poker night with Peter, Sean, and their newly acquired in-law, and Donna and Gillian were watching Ned, Ariadne, Walt, and Calvin. Maxine was getting to know Bruce's mother, who had flown in from Las Vegas to attend the wedding, and Bruce and Amy had taken the opportunity to sneak out into the backyard and spend some time alone.

"I can't believe we're married," Amy said, leaning into her husband as they sat down on the porch swing. "It seems so surreal, like this is all some dream I'm having."

"Oh? Like when you dream about eating cheese?" Bruce cracked, referring to her response to him telling her that dreams were wish fulfillments.

"Oh, God, I can't believe I ever said that," Amy laughed. "Did I ever tell you what I was really dreaming about?"

Bruce raised an eyebrow at her and replied, "No. Do tell."

Amy snuggled into him a little more and said, "Well, it involved you, and let's just say I was all hot and bothered when I woke up."

Bruce wiggled his eyebrows at her. "Ooh, sounds positively intriguing. I do believe we'll have to reenact that dream sometime soon. Perhaps on the honeymoon?"

Amy grinned. "Oh, yes, definitely." She sighed. "This is it. The rest of our lives. I'm finally the happiest I've ever been. And I have you to thank for that."

"Right back at ya, woman," Bruce said, leaning down and kissing her head.

And there they remained, on the porch swing, Amy leaned into Bruce's embrace, rocking with the rhythm of the breeze.


End file.
